THE BIRDS OF PREY OF THE PUNJAB. 255 



the present species may also be seen indulging 

 in it. This is for a pair to sail so very close to 

 each other that at the time it would almost seeni 

 as though one was sitting on the back of the 

 other. 



Both have their pinions full spread and no move- 

 ment whatever is visible in either wing or tail 

 while they are one above the other. 



A pair might often be seen proceeding for quite a 

 long distance, one directly above the other, occa- 

 sionally separating for a few seconds and then 

 coming together again, but I do not think they 

 actually touch each other. 



The Black Vulture is said to lay sometimes two 

 eggs, but this is not Mr. Hume's experience, who 

 has never found more than one in a nest, out of 

 numbers that he has examined. The egg is pure 

 white, with a very faint greenish tinge sometimes, 

 but very rarely, streaked or spotted, and measures 

 3-34 by 2-6. 



Family VULTURID^. 



Type B. 

 Genus Gyjys (contains 4 species). 



No. 1192. Gyp>! fulvus, The Griffon Vulture. 



Tail of 14 feathers. 

 Characteristics. Size large ; 3rd, primary longest ; lower plumage 



with narrow shaft stripes. 



Colouration. The head is covered, top and sides, with yellowish 



white hair- like feathers, very dense on the top of 

 the head, chin and throat, and thickly intermixed 

 with down, entirely covering the dark skin, and 

 passing into white down on the neck, and covering 

 it entirely, except about one-fifth or so of the basal 

 portion of the back and sides. The feathers of the 

 ruff are whitish, with reddish brown edges, and are 

 elongated and running to a point. The whole plu- 

 mage of this bird is an admixture of brown to fawn, 

 with a light pinkish tinge, or rufous brown, with 

 narrow shaft stripes of a paler colour than the rest 

 of the feather. The upper wing coverts and ter- 

 tiaries are a darker brown, as also the crop patch. 

 The underparts throughout are a pinkish brown 

 with narrow shaft stripes, white or whitish. 



Younger birds, says Blanford, are deeper colour- 

 ed and " are distinguished by having the feathers 

 of the back, scapulars, and coverts pointed and the 

 ruff feathers dark and elongate. The bufl'-coloured 

 birds appear to be either young, or old in worn and 

 faded plumage." Hume, on the other hand, says, 

 "the younger birds are sandier and paler than 

 above described '' (the adult) " but the older they 

 grow, the more richly rufous they become." 



